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Commentary
South Africa: Dion George’s countercomplaint turns an internal DA dispute into an existential test
By Adam Cruise - Daily Maverick For years, the DA has distinguished itself by arguing that good governance is not about who governs, but how. The George countercomplaint places that claim under unprecedented strain. Is it still the party that defends institutions when they are inconvenient – or only when they are useful? Dion George’s current decision to lodge a countercomplaint with the Public Protector has transformed what the DA hoped would be a contained ministerial matter into something far more dangerous: a direct challenge to the party’s claim to govern by principle rather...
What Craig’s long life reveals about elephant conservation
By Rhett Ayers Butler - Mongabay The death of Craig, a widely known super tusker from Amboseli, drew attention not just because of his fame, but because he lived long enough to die of natural causes in a period when elephants with tusks like his are rarely spared. Craig’s life reflected decades of sustained protection in Kenya, where anti-poaching efforts and community stewardship have allowed some elephant populations to stabilize or grow after catastrophic losses in the late 20th century. His passing is also a reminder of what has been lost: Africa’s elephant population fell from about 1.3...
News
When Some Elephants Raid Farms, They Might Not Be After a Snack. They Could Be Looking for Medicinal Plants
By Katarina Zimmer, bioGraphic - The Smithsonian A recent study suggests that the large mammals may seek out parts of bananas and papayas when they’re suffering from gut parasites, sparking a...
Kenya: Craig the beer-ambassador elephant dies aged 54
By Natasha Booty and Richard Kagoe - BBC A Kenyan elephant believed to have been one of Africa's largest male tuskers has died of old age. The pachyderm, fondly known as Craig, died of natural...
Worry over sharp rise in Botswana’s wildlife hunting quotas, plans for year-round elephant hunting
By Cyril Zenda - Down to Earth Since lifting the ban on trophy hunting in 2019, Botswana has been progressively increasing the numbers of animals on offer to sport hunters. Wildlife conservationists...
Press releases
Lawsuit Launched After Trump Freezes Funds for Rhino, Elephant Anti-Poaching Patrols
By The Center for Biological Diversity Contact: Sarah Uhlemann, (206) 327-2344, suhlemann@biologicaldiversity.org Broad Range of International Conservation Projects Hit By Halt in U.S. Support WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sent notice today of its intent to sue the...
Studies
Are crop fields pharmacies for megaherbivores? From ecophysiological studies of elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) crop raiders in Gabon
By Steeve Ngama, Jerome Bindelle, Janine L. Brown, John R. Poulsen, Jean-Luc...
Declines of ebony and ivory are inextricably linked in an African rainforest
By Deblauwe, V. et al - Science Advances Abstract Critically endangered...
Elephant extinction could threaten everything from rainforests to musical instruments
By Alison Hewitt, University of California, Los Angeles When Taylor Guitars...
Reports
Scientific Review of Botswana’s Elephant Hunting Programme
By Mike Chase and Scott Schlossberg - Elephants Without Borders (EWB) Summary 1. In 2019, Botswana ended a five-year moratorium on the hunting of African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana). Here, we provide expert, outside review of the hunting programme and its scientific basis. Notably, we...
About
The Journal of African Elephants was created by a group of concerned journalists, biologists and conservationists, who, after years of tracking and documenting the catastrophic decline of Africa’s elephant populations, have recognised the urgent need for a dedicated English and French news and commentary space to enhance and increase global awareness of the plight of Africa’s savanna and forest elephants. Our Commentary service, in particular, are writers that focus on the need to provide awareness of Africa’s elephants and affected surrounding human communities from a distinctly African perspective that, for the most part, is lacking in the dominance of Western media.